NASCAR, one of the most popular sports among conservatives, celebrated “the LGBTQ+ community” Wednesday on the first day of “Pride Month.”
“As we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, we acknowledge that recent actions have not aligned with NASCAR’s mission to be a welcoming sport for all,” the company said on Twitter.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to create a more inclusive environment — in our workplaces, at the race track & in the stands,” the statement continues.
As we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, we acknowledge that recent actions have not aligned with NASCAR’s mission to be a welcoming sport for all.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to create a more inclusive environment — in our workplaces, at the race track & in the stands. pic.twitter.com/r0h232xaXd
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 1, 2022
Back in January, NASCAR refused to allow driver Brandon Brown to drive a “Let’s Go Brandon” themed car. The car’s theme was a nod to a video that went viral last October of a reporter claiming that fans at a race were shouting “Let’s Go Brandon” not “F**k Joe Biden.” (RELATED: Elon Musk Sparks Outrage With LGBT Pride Tweet)
A plurality of NASCAR fans—45%—are Republicans, 27% are independents, and only 28% are Democrats. Across all sports, a much larger segment—35%—are Democrat. People in rural and Republican areas are more likely to search for NASCAR on Google.
In June of last year, NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace claimed he was a victim of a hate crime after finding what he claimed was meant to be a noose hanging in his car garage. At the time, NASCAR promised to fire the person responsible for the act. The FBI later refuted the claim, showing that the object had been in Wallace’s garage since 2019.